


May I sit here?

by Ereana



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Setters being friends, Summer Camp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 08:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1852114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ereana/pseuds/Ereana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kageyama is just looking for some peace and quiet during the final days of the training camp. He finds it for a moment before an unlikely person asks to join him at his table.</p>
            </blockquote>





	May I sit here?

“Excuse me, may I sit here?”

 

Kageyama’s head snapped round to see the setter of Fukurodani, Akaashi Keiji if he remembered right, looking down at him expectantly. Feeling more than a little thrown he managed to nod, unable to think of a good reason to refuse the other player, before turning back to the scene before him.

 

The resident ball of hyperactive annoyance that was Hinata had been persuaded to engage in some form of eating contest along with that ridiculously tall middle blocker from Nekowa, the other one who reminded him too much of a puppy and Nishinoya-san. It wasn’t pleasant but there was something so grotesquely fascinating about it that he couldn’t look away. Nor could several others apparently as he could hear snippets of bets being made on whom would win. It was absurd, though if he were to join he’d put everything on Hinata. He’d sat through enough lunches to know that the seemingly endless store of energy of his teammate came from eating an equally endless supply of food.

 

The others didn’t stand a chance.

 

He had been watching the idiots, discreetly of course, in relative peace but now awareness prickled along his skin. The other teenager wasn’t attempting to engage him in conversation or making much noise at all but Kageyama was very conscious of his presence. Akaashi may not be as unnoticeable as the Nekowa setter, who was currently sat by Hinata’s side with ever-widening eyes at the amount of food disappearing into the smaller boy’s mouth, but he didn’t have the aura of someone like Oikawa or himself. There was no arrogance in that last thought, he’d seen and played against Fukurodani enough times during the camp to gain a healthy respect for their setter’s skill. Perhaps it was because their ace and captain stood out so much, Bokuto Koutaro was an amazing player who could draw every eye in the room by entering it, and Akaashi was not good enough to outshine the already brilliant light that was on his team.

 

Kageyama didn’t think that was the case. There was a quick intelligence about the vice-captain, something a little sly and calculating about his whole demeanour which made him think that under the apparent plainness of his image there was a creature waiting to strike at the right moment. The last point in their final game was a perfect example; he’d caught a glimpse of the smile as Bokuto had scored it was as sharp as a knife and his eyes had sparked with something beyond the usual indifference. It was a predator’s smile.

 

Therefore he would not make the mistake of completely ignoring his odd tablemate but he couldn’t for the life of them figure out why Akaashi would want to sit next to him. There were plenty of other chairs available and he could see some other Fukurodani members spread around socialising, that thing which he admitted he was terrible at; though only ever to himself and maybe Sugawara-san. So why sit next to him? He had most likely been frowning at the ever-increasing crowd around the idiots and he was aware that his face wasn’t particularly inviting to begin with.

 

Some of his confusion must have been coming through his usual mask though because he saw Akaashi point to something a little away from the group in the centre. Following the trail of the finger he saw a small group of three sat round one of the smaller tables on the other side of the garden. It was the three captains and they seemed to be….playing cards? Yes he could just make out Daichi-san dealing some cards out. The Nekoma captain was smirking and speaking to Bokuto who looked annoyed, confidant and happy all at the same time, one of his feet was tapping quite vigorously against the floor. As if he was so lively that he couldn’t stand to be still for any period of time whatsoever.

 

He had a sudden vision of Hinata in two years’ time.

 

“I can best observe Bokuto-san from here. I’m not too far that it is difficult to make out what he’s doing but I’m also not close enough for the volume to bother me.”

 

Surprised, and maybe a little scared, that his uncertainty had been read by a stranger he nodded.

 

Silence descended upon them but oddly enough it wasn’t that awkward, not that he was good at telling awkward silences from normal ones, it was just a mutual unspoken agreement for some peace and quiet. Given some of their teammates times of tranquillity were difficult if not impossible to come by. The minutes ticked by and he slowly let some of the tension seep out of his shoulders; there was no pressure in this space, no jealousy over skills, no anger over losses, it was just two people having a calm moment away from the noisy horde in front of them.

 

It was broken, not by either of them but by a furious shout from Bokuto as he apparently lost another hand to the captain of the cats. Kageyama saw Akaashi shake his head and couldn’t stop the smirk pulling at his own mouth when the sneaky captain turned to Daichi-san with an eager grin.

 

“You don’t seem too concerned about your captain’s chances. Kuroo-san is a good card-player and Bokuto-san has never been able to beat him at it.”

 

He leaned back in his chair and twisted slightly to face his somewhat aloof-looking companion. After a few minutes of peace he felt much more open to a conversation than before.

 

“Maybe but Daichi-san is unbeatable at the game. I don’t think even Sugawara-san can see through his poker face, and they’ve been friends for years.”

 

Privately he thinks it could be that Kuroo isn’t a brilliant player but rather Bokuto is just a bad one. He doesn’t seem like someone who could bluff easily or hide his emptions at all. He’d played against Hinata once and it had been a slaughter despite his own lack of experience the dumbass was just too open and he could easily imagine Bokuto suffering from the same problem.

 

“Besides shouldn’t you be worried about any money that your captain is losing?” He asks, watching said captain start to pout and glare at the bringer of his defeat who stuck his tongue out at him in retaliation.

 

“Bokuto-san is not allowed to handle any of the club’s money anymore.” Kageyama gives him a startled look, Daichi-san may not be in full control of Karasuno’s finances but he has some say. Akaashi notices the look and a semblance of a smile appears on his face, it is more a wry twist of lips than anything but his eyes gleam with a flash of amusement.

 

“He once thought it was a good idea to paint hundreds of owls on our gym’s walls. It cut our funds nearly in half and he’s been kept away from anything financial since.”

 

The snort escapes him before he can help it.

 

“Sounds like a handful.” Akaashi nods in acknowledgement. This is an odd feeling for Kageyama, he’s not use to talking with anyone outside Karasuno in a vaguely friendly manner but it’s a little fun. Maybe. Just a small bit. He wouldn’t be adverse to it continuing.

 

“You have similar people on your team I believe.” Akaashi nods in the direction of the eating contest from the planet lunatic and Kageyama wants to smack his own face at the spectacle his teammates are a part of, or just hit Hinata he’s not picky. It looked like the two Nekoma players had been forced to a stop while the two shortest players from Karasuno were happily gorging themselves on the remaining, and quickly diminishing, pile of food.

 

“Morons.” He mutters and feels heat suffuse his cheeks at the knowledge that Akaashi is watching the display as well. Truthfully he wouldn’t change his team for the world even that bastard Tsukishima, but that’s only because he’s tall and important for blocking, but they can be so embarrassing.

 

Kageyama has never been one for exhibition. Off the court he likes to keep to himself and his friendship group his limited to his volleyball team. It’s the reason why he’s one of the few members of Karasuno who has not formed a bond with someone outside the team. Hinata seems to befriend just about anyone, Sugawara-san and Nishinoya-san get on well with the Nekoma libero and Nishinoya-san also gets on well with Tanaka-san’s friend the Nekoma wing spiker, Daichi-san has formed a connection with the other two captains that seems to be a mix of super-competitive spirit and immature childish actions and the glasses jerk had been taken by the other captains as some sort of odd student. He has the Karasuno members and that’s about it.

 

Sure he knows several of the players from Aobajousai but those relationships can hardly be called friendly. Memories flash across his mind; an empty space where his teammates should be, Oikawa’s sudden moment of anger, a graduation from which he walked home alone without.

 

He’s not good with people.

 

“So it seems but Hinata-kun seems to have a good heart.” Oh yeah, Hinata had been practicing late at night with some of the other players, once they’d resumed talking to each other he wouldn’t shut up about it, so Akaashi had undoubtedly realised how impossibly happy the orange-haired boyo could be.

 

He hmmed in response and turned his attention back to the card game. His smirk from before threatened to return when he saw two pouting captains and Daichi-san beaming whilst shuffling the cards.

 

“I told you he’d win.” He said flicking a glance at Akaashi. “He may not look it but Daichi-san can be sneaky when he wants to be.”

 

“So it would seem. I expect tonight I will be subject to many complaints about your captain and his card skills before I am able to sleep.”

 

“Well, I’ll probably be told the extremely detailed story from either one of those two over there about how they won that stupid eating contest while the other sulks for coming in second, and Daichi-san will probably be too busy boasting about his victory to the other third years to stop them.”

 

He’s sure that the huff which escapes the black-haired teen’s mouth is one of laughter, he does the same thing, and finds his own mouth curling in response.

 

This is unexpectedly…nice. His phone beeps in alarm which wipes any joy from his mind and he reaches into his bag on the floor to take out the dreaded books and a worn out pen. The alarm was set to tell him when half an hour was up and it was time to resume his extra homework load. He and Hinata may have managed to go but they had been given extra work to do.

 

His new acquaintance is abruptly forgotten as the tedious lists of sums, equations and numbers blur into streams of black lines on his page. He hates maths, hates it with a passion usually reserved for playing against Oikawa, and he knows he’ll have to ask someone for help at some point. If he can even get started that is. Pen meets paper for about five minutes before he frowns at the problem in front of him. This is terrible, he should not be stumped by the first question.

 

“I wasn’t aware that schools gave out that much work over this period.” He inwardly winces at the unjudging tone. Academia will never be something that comes to him easily and deep down it bothers him, though he will quit volleyball before anyone learns that. Appearing stupid is something that he hates and he really respects Akaashi both as a fellow setter and as someone who can control his team.

 

“Uh, it’s not given to most people.” Hoping that his unease is better hidden this time he turns back to the illegible books. The red on his cheeks is just from the heat, at least that’s what he tells himself. He can sense Akaashi leaning over to get a better look and inwardly braces himself for the snide or pitying comment about his intellect.

 

“I think you missed out this number here Kageyama-kun.” The same unjudging voice pierces though his world and he sees a hand gently pointing to the spot where he’d forgotten to account for the thirty. The expression on his face might be described as a gape if it were anyone else. Feeling a sliver of hope he looks up and the face is still the same, the tone of voice hasn’t changed the only thing different is that the body is closer as Akaashi has shuffled round to take a look at his work.

 

He wants to say thank you but the words stick in his throat so instead he nods and focuses back on the problem.

 

“I remember doing this in first year.” He hears scribbling the hopefully correct answer down. “I can give you some help if you’d like.”

 

Kageyama’s initial reaction is to say no, images of Tsukishima and Oikawa taunting him when he’s asked for their help. Smug smirks and superior aura’s that never fail to drive him insane but he bows his head because he needs their aid to continue playing the sport which means everything to him. Even more than his pride. But then he meets Akaashi’s gaze and he can see nothing but a frank desire to help; no sneering or laughter at the ‘genius’ setter who can’t even do question one on his maths homework without help.

 

This time help is being offered without a request, it is freely given with no malicious or secondary intent. So maybe…

 

“Thank you, I always find this stuff difficult.”

 

For the rest of the afternoon the two quietly work through Kageyama’s homework with few words shared between them. At the end Kageyama thanks Akaashi once again.

 

**Evening**

“I’m telling you he must have been cheating somehow! He even beat that sly cat and he’s amazing at it.”

 

“Bokuto-san I think it’s more that you suck at it rather than he’s great at it. Sawamura-san was just the better player.”

 

As his teammates try, unsuccessfully, to lure the captain out of his dejected mode. Akaashi ponders the day’s events. With Bokuto occupied it had been much quieter than usual and he’d honestly expected to spend it mostly alone. The conversation with Kageyama had been just as surprising for him as it was the other.

 

He certainly hadn’t imagined that he’d get the others phone number, the first year had mentioned there being more work at home and he’d found himself offering his number in case he needed anymore help. There had been undisguised gratitude in the eyes that had stared back at him and he wondered just who he’d been going to for help before.

 

“Oh hey Akaashi how was your day?” Apparently Bokuto had been revived once more. “I heard you were talking to that amazing setter from Karasuno. Were you talking about being a setter? Does he think he’s better than you? Though obviously you’re the best because you’re on our team. Have you started an epic rivalry with him?” He looked positively gleeful at the thought and Akaashi hurried to correct him.

 

“No I was-” he’s about to say that he was helping him with some homework but he remembers Kageyama’s hunched form as he explained what it was, the fear and shame carefully pushed behind a stoic mask, the relief when Akaashi had just pointed out the flaw in his work without any extra comment. So he says something else.

 

“I was just asking him about his team.” It’s not a lie. He likes his fellow setter who reminds him a little of himself in a way, uncomfortable in social situations, closed off, quiet and linked with a headstrong, foolish, brilliant player who won’t let them shut people out.

 

“By the way Bokuto-san since you lost your dessert privileges to Sawamura-san today should I ask the staff to take tomorrow’s chocolate cake to him instead?”

 

Bokuto’s cries do a good job in distracting the others from asking about his conversation with Kageyama.

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea where this came from. I just had this image of these two talking in my head and started to write. I think that Kageyama could do with some friends outside of Karasuno and Akaashi was one of the few who wouldn't infuriate him. Plus they're both awesome kickass setters. Hope you enjoy!


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